Window regulator



Sept. 26, 1933. A. L. l-mNsENv WINDOW REGULATOR Filed Nov. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 1933. A. L. HANSEN WINDOW REGULATOR 27 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1931 v 4fnz/C/iaoc' Wa, Im

cz/cfsen/ le S.

iif 110 i fs in i rVertical `flj'atented Sept. 26,

I i i 1,9%,423' i wnimownnfevm'ron Augi L.'Hansen,f0hicago, Vassignor to ALL;

' lllansen Mfg'; 'Companmj Chicago, Ill., a corporationj of Illinois 1, (Application Nbvmber. 12, 1931 SerialuN. 574,478

zholatm.` l(stats-123) i `Thist invention relates f to improvements. in

Window regulators, and moreparticularly to devices vfor manually raising` and xlmvering the windows ofvehicle bodies'. h v, 4

' The object of the invention is to improveupon the Structural features of a xsimilar mechanism.

disclosed in Letters Patent No.u l,827,746;granted to `me on October 20,]1931, andflam'ong Whichmay be mentioned qtheyenclosure of the chain and sprockets .Withinl ar housing, `thereby providing a selfcontained unit more orless protected against accumulations of dust anddirt and proof against thefundesired spreading of the grearse or oil With which Vthe chain is lub'iricated, to other parts of fihedOOrf v i A. preferred ernbodirnent'of the novel features incorporated in the window `regulating and operating unit is disclosed in the accompanying drawmgsfmwhich w v f f,

Figure 1 is a general view in elevation of a door frame vfor a; Vehicle body showing ther .complete installation; i Ti p` f -y I i Figure 2 is a View in Vertical section'through the door as takenon line 2- -2 of Figure 1; l i

i or crank side of the regulator unit; f

Hiajgurefi is a similar View of 'the inner or op'-` posite'side of'the unit; i i v V l, HFigure 5 is an enlarged'detail view of the unit Figure 6;

Figure 6 isfa elilation ofthe'iinit,

aiplartfofl the housingjbeing broken away; f i

Figure `7 is an nlarged detailiview inisectio through thecrank operated sproc'ket and clutch mechanism as taken on. line 7-,-7 of Figure .1;I- x

Figures 8 and 9 arefdetail viewsof the,,clutch I xmechan' m as taken `on lines 8`-8 and `9 ,9, ref` p spectvelykofFigurefl; and i -i i 40 rli'igure luis a perspective viewiofthe window Connectingmember of `the unit. 4

'Referring to Figures 1 Aand 2; the regulator is shown as applied toaidoorrfrarnexl of a lvehicle bodyof any standard construction'and designed eitherffor Commercial `or; pleasurevehicles rthe e Chief distinction being the fact fithatthe body of i a pleasure vehicleis more elaborately finished and I heavy plate glass panels are'used forlthe f dows,H As shown, the upper half of.. the door is r provided witha. square opening,. thejlower half enclsing a Vl'iollow space o'r'well iniwhichfthe regulatoris housed and into which'the window is lotweredL4 ``For thepurpo'se of this disclosure,` the inner edgesof the Vertical rails 2, 2 lof the Window Openineategroflvad 91* rabbeitedas, at 2 to ref 'Referring to theregulator unit sethel `an endless chainfilofextending the length of .the`

Ejigure 3,11s`` an enlarged'detail view ofthe outeri i journaLone end'of the shaft beingextendedlbelsection as talgen 'won line. 5-5 `4of' Y and permanently xedth'ereto to.. close the` open sheet. metal' and then'forined to Shape .inthe provided at each end which'form transver'sejend 4 'i f Flower .end of the channel member and centrally.

vceive the slidingwndow sash 3 consistng'of a frame 3a and a glass panel'Sb. Theflwindowslides inthe rabbe'ts or grooves 223 2% in the sides of the door frainethe top rail 4 of said door framepreferably having a, slot Aa, extendingvertically through it to permit thewindow to .be inserted or v removed through the top,-'as shown in Figure`2$ii i' i The-door frame is clivided transversely bya cross rail 5, the space 'above formingithe window Opening andthe space below providingmlthefwell into which the xsash'i's loweredby'the. operation oftheregulating unit, 'extending verticall'yr and t centrally of the lower half of the door frame and fastened at its ends to the inner face 'of the'cross i I rail 5 and the bottom rail 6 of thevframe as shown 4 intFigures 1 'and Y f i f comprises 'a relatv'ely narrow elongated casing1 or housing 7 Which substantially encloses a chain i andsprocket assembly, consisting .of a pair .of Y sprocket wheels 8 and-9 journalled` at theupper4 and lower ends of the housing,4 respectively, and

casing and. around they sprocketsq The, upper. isprocket 8.is xed to a stub'vshaft v11` forming its yondthe innerwall of the housing andfonithis end vis mounted the operatingfcrank .handle l12 which located `on the insidebf theldoorf justv vbelowt the windowpopening after the; unit has :been '85 j 4 installed;v f. If f 9 The `casing or jhousingi 73 madeflup of, itwo` sheet :metal'membersgor :parts,z one' a shallow channelshapedmember 1/3iandathe otheraflat i strip la slightlvl narrower' than the firstvmember I sideof the space includedby the channel memi 4 pThe channel member blanked out'froin i I usual manner; and'infthe blanking and forming Operation rpairs: oflaterally extending wings: are

plates -113fl,i13; with screw holes punchedwtherethrough, wher'eby'the assembled unitis attached.

to 'the door'frame v(Figure 3); Throughoutthe length .of the channelmember between the jend plates 13% 13% the marginal portions are bentlat right angles to form the side flanges 131?,`131 f about f i i one-.half an inch in widthyf And finally near the of its main wall portion,r an elongated--ear 15 is stampedfromtheblank beingseveredabout three l edges, but having integral connectionsalong its base edgaso4 that the ear extehds longitudinally f-I'he'connecting member offlfthe'7 is almetal slide 23 forming af part 'of the chain, andat thev same time mounted to slide lengthtoward the upper end of the housing. The pur- Vpose of this ear will be presently explained (and in connection with the assembly Operation.

The other member or strip 14 which completes the housing is somewhat simpler in its formation. Its top edge .portion isbent in L-shape to protact tnthe upper end plate 13u of the channel member and atransverse web 14b which determines the depth of the space within the housing. -3

A short distance below the fianged end ofdth'e strip is provided a round hole 14c formmg-a-bearof the housing. Another ear 16 is punchedin ther strip member approximately midway of its length, and finally at its lower end is a narrowislot 1 7 elongated longitudinally, this slot forming a bearingfor the'lower sprocket which, as Will presently be noted, is shiftable under spring pressure to maintain the chain under uniform 4tension.

(Figure 5). f i i Now, the housing is assembled by joining the channel and strip members together through the medium of the several ears 15r and 16, lwhich are bent during the 'forming Operation` to provide transverse spacing webs 15a and^16a and parallel oset Vtongues 1151)V and 16b which bear flatwise againstithe opposite wall and then in the assembly Operationaresspot-welded.as at w, the flange 14u at .the upper edge of the strip member 14 being spot-welded Vin the same Operation.

. Y 'Manifestly, all ofthe moving parts are assem bled in place before the members of the housing Thus' the stub shaft 11 on -which the .upper or driven sprocket 8 is 'loosely are wclded together.

mounted, lis inserted endwisethrough the aligned bearing holes in the channel and'stri'p members 13 and 14, the former being located at the center of a bulbouslprojection 18 pressed outwardly from :the -front wall; -of the lchannel member.

(Figurefl) Thep lower sprocketQ, however, does notlhave direct bearin'g in'the housing, but is journalled at the lower end of a JU-shaped yoke-19 1 which straddles .the sprocket` and supportsV its journalp'in 9'=.=,-the latter. having an 'extended end 'whichfrides in theslotll'? -in thefstrip member 14 of-:the housing; v`.Extendingffrom the base of 'the U-shaped yoke is a rod V20 projecting lengthwise ofzthe housing towardilitsfupper end',-Ithe -end of fs'aidrod passing throughahole 21V punched in the transverseweb of the lear 15 stampedifrom the channel member 13 near itslower end; And

finally, a coil sp1'ingI'22- surrounds'the rod andr wise along one side of the hou'sing and'within a slot l24 separating one edge of the strip 14 and the inner--`face 'offthefadjacent langeV 13b of the channel'member 13. `This c`onnecting3mernber'23 regulator' 'unit is preferably stamped from sheet metal and consists of several integral parts as follows: (Figure 10) The base of the member has the form of a link 24 with hooked ends which connect the free ends of the chain. Projecting outwardly from 'one edgeof the link portion is a flat lug 25 formed bybendinghalstrip-like section of the zmetal over and inwardly upon itself so that the projection has the form of a fiattened loop. And finally latthe lower end of the down-turned portion of the lLlg 'is 7arr integral guide plate 26 bent at right anglesthereto and extending laterally in both directions therefroin, and at the extremities of this verselypvertheends of the guide and in a directionawaylfrqm the lug 25. Thus the base portion joffthe vConnecting member travels in line 'with the chain with the lug 25 projecting outfwardly -from the slot 24 and slides lengthwise thereof. The guide plate 26 slides along the underl edge ofzthe wall member 14 of -the h'ousing with clips engaging'the edges, so that a smooth sliding lmovement is effected. Connection with the window sash 2 is made through a bracket 27 attached to the lower edgethereof, and 'having a depending portion in which a slot is formel to vreceive the lug 25 of the connectingmember'ZB.

Mani'festly withsuch an arrangement, the connecting member can only move in a straight line upwardly anddownwardly'in-the slot 24, 'carryi-ng the window with it through the connection between the projection' of (the regulator unit and the 'bracket 27 mounted centrally of the lower 7edge of the window sash, the latter permitting dei tachable connection with the lug 25 so thatY connections can be conveniently made during the assembly of the door, and also to permit Vthe-window to be detached and removed vwithout disassembling the door frame in case of breakage and replacement.

'In the preferredV construction of the regulator unit, the upper sprocket Wheel 8 is not directly connected -to the 7stub shaft -11 but turns loosely thereon, the movement from the crank handle to the sprocket wheel being transmitt'ed through a clutch mechanism which isintroduced for the following reasons: If the crank were directly connected with the' sprocket, it follows that the window could be opened and closed either by turning the crank or by 'applying a lifting or depressing force directly upon the window, with the result that'the window could be readily lowered from the outside and the interior' of the vehicle rnade easily accessible even though the door were looked.r In other-words, the window would be free running either by 'turning the crank 01' by raisingor lowering the window itself, so that it is the function ofthe clutch to lock the unit against movement inr a, downward direction either by pressure 'applied direct to the window or by 'gravity due torthe jarring or vibration of the vehicle in motion. I v

Referring to Jfi'igu'res 7, 8 and 9, the clutch consists of a disc 72,8 l:Fixed to the' stub shaft 'll carry'- ing the handle, saidflydisc being located within a cup-like member '2,9A on the inner face of the housing and xpartiallyl sunk within the recess formed by-the dme-like projection V18 in the wall of the phousi'ng. This disc has a pair of diametrically opposed fingers 28,21, 28n 'extending parallel with the inner end portion of the stub shaft :and toward the lsprocket'x 8,' their'fendsv engaging a complementary pair 'ofarcuate slots 8fl, 8'a passing through said sprocket inwardly from the periphery thereof. These slotsextend through arcs of approximately 90, each, and permit a relative `rotation between the sprocket and the shaft 11 of 'end 30,a bent radially inward atright an'gles into the path of the fingers of the disc and itsfouter end is also bent at right angles Vbut parallel, to its axis to form a lug bl Which engages ax hele 81 in the sprocket 8.' Now, this spring forms a reg silient 'connecting member between the crank` operated shaft 11 and the sprocket 8, and its action will be understooclV from the following:

Assuming 'first that the crank is turned in either direction to raise or lower the window panel, it will be apparent that in eithercasev the disc turning with the shaft will engage the inner end of the spring and tend to rotate it in the same direction andrthe spring. inturn will tend to revolve the sprocket in the same direction; There is a certain load on the sprocket due to friction, so that regardless of the direction'of turning, the forceexerted on thespring is such that it is contracted appreciably, that is, in anr amount sufiicient to release its normalfrictional contact with the' annular wall vof the cupmemi ber, and it then'is free to revolve with the shaft Vapplied to the window panel in afdirectiontoraise; p it, thisforce is transmitted to the sprocket to roandthe sprocket member. rSimilarly if a force is cup member rmuch after the manner of an internalexpanding brake band and drum, and "then chain onsaidsprocket wheels, a Connecting memharder the force is applied, the greater thefric-r tional locking force applied' by the spring Consequently, the sprocket is free to turn withthe crank, except when a force is applied to the window vsash to lower it, and then the frictiona-llocking' action takes effect immediately and effectively to prevent themovement of the window.

The regulator unit-as thus constructed and assembled afiords a Very' compact and sturdymechanism, With all moving parts efiectively concealed,

protected and supported for free and noiseless' i Operation.

I claim as my nvention: f V

1. A window regulator comprising an elongated metal casing adapted to be fixed at its ends in a g door frame, sprocket wheels 'journalled in saidV casing ad-jacent its ends, an endless sprocket frame, including a lug attached to said Ychain and 'projecting through a slot inlsaid casing for sliding engagement therewith, and guide members chain rcarried by said wheels, and means for con- I' v' necting said chain with asliding windown said spaced from'said lug and having sliding engagerear `walls and narrow'side walls, sprocket wheels journalled withinflthe ends of said casing and a ber for attaching a sliding window to said regulator comprising aportion insertable in said chain and having a projecting flat lug adapted to have slding engagement in a narrow slot extending longitudinally along oneside of said housing, and r,

having sliding engagementwithpne edge'of the AUGIE L. HANSEN. x

va guide integral With said connecting member and. 

